Coasting-guard for boots or shoes



(No Modl.)

W. LAWRENCE.

GOASTIYNG GUARD FOR BOOTS 0R SHOES. No. 297,422.- Patent ed Apr. 22, 1884.

N. PETERS. nmmuum im hu, Wathingmn. D. c.

Unrrnn Srarns arena tries.

WILLIAM LAWRENCE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COASTING-GUARD FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,422, dated April 22, 1884:.

' Application filed February 15, 1884. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAinLAWRENcn, of the city and county of IVorcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coasting Guards for Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a top'or plan view of my device, the strap which passes around the foot being broken off, as shown. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a bottom view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

My invention relates to a guard to be attached to the toe part of boots or shoes, to be used while coasting in the winter season, to protect the side or edge of the sole and the toe of the boot or shoe which comes in contact with the snow or ice when steering the sled from wearing by friction. My device is made of cast or malleable iron, or may be stamped or pressed out of any suitable metal by means of a die, in substantially the shape shown in the drawings, having straps attached thereto, which are passed around the foot to hold the guard in place upon the boot or shoe.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, A represents one of my coasting-guards for the toe part of a boot or shoe, made in one piece of cast or malleable iron, or stamped or pressed out of sheet metal by means of a die, and then bent or pressed into the form shown, having the lips or proj ections B upon its under surface, upon which the sole of the boot or shoe rests. Five projections, B, are shown in the drawings; but more may be used, if desired; and a continuous projection or flange extending out from and around the lower edge of the guard A may be used in lieu of the projections B, if preferred, to answer the same purpose. The

outer and lower edge of the guard A is made with a row of teeth, 0, for the purpose of catching into the smooth ice or snow, thus enabling the steerer of the sled to have much more control over it than would be the case if the edge were made smooth. Upon the bottom of the guard A are spurs a, projecting out therefrom, which prevent the wearer from slipping upon a smooth surface. The upper part of the guard A is made in the form shown in Figs, 1 and 2, the part D serving to protect the edge of the sole and the toe of the boot or shoe, and the parts E E projecting out from the part D, and curved so as to rest upon the top of the toe part of the foot and keep the guard A in its proper position upon the foot of the wearer. b b are small ornaments or knobs formed upon the parts E. These may be dispensed with, if desired.

. To the rear part of the guard A, on each side thereof, are attached, by means of rivets c or in any other suitable manner, straps F F, which are shown broken off in the drawings. One strap is providedwith a buckle and the other with holes, to allow of their being connected together, in the usual manner, after having been passed around the foot. The ends of the straps F F, which are made of leather or of any other suitable material, are fastened to the inner side of the part D, to prevent their coming in contact with the snow orice in coasting, as would be the case if they were fastened upon the outer side; and the part D is slightly grooved out where the straps F F are attached, so as to prevent their projecting out from the inner face or sur face of the part D and pressing against the foot of the wearer. The object of the straps F F is to pass them around the foot of the wearer, in any desired way, after the toe part of the foot has been fitted into the guard A, and then buckle their ends together, to hold the guard A securely upon the foot of the wearer.

It will be readily seen that the guard A can be made of different sizes to fit different sizes and shapes of boots or shoes, and can be easily and quickly attached to either foot of the wearer, and will serve as a great protection to the boots or shoes of boys when coasting and steering the sled by means of one foot projecting out behind, as is customary in coasting upon single sleds.

Having described my coastingguard for boots or shoes, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by corrugations, G, on the outer and lower edge,

Letters Patent, is i for the purpose stated, and two or more parts, 10

As an improved article of manufacture, a I E, projecting out from the part D, substaneoasting-guu-rd for boots or shoes, of substantially as shown and described. 5 tially the form shown in the drawings, hav- XVILLIAM LAWRENCE.

ing three or more lips or projections, B, or their equivstlent, upon its under surface, for the foot to rest upon, with a row of teeth or \Vi tn esses:

JOHN G. DEWEY, GEORGE T. DEWEY. 

